Bowling alley



Jan. 8, 1935.

. G. F. CAHILL BOWLING ALLEY Filed Feb. 11, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Jan. 8, 1935. GQF. CAHILL 1,987,000

BOWLING ALLEY Filed Feb. 11, 1935 4 sheets sheet 2 INVEHTOR.

Jan. s, 1935.

G. F. CAHILL BOWLING ALLEY Filed Fb 11, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor G. F. CAHILL BOWLING ALLEY Jan. 8, 1935.

4 Sheets-$heet 4 Filed Feb. 11, 1955 fili Inventor Patented Jan. 8, I935 '1-1 [U IT z BOWLING ALLEY George F. Cahill, New York, N. Y. I Application February 11, 1933, Serial No. 656,237

18 Claims."

- in the most popular form of the ancient game of bowling, and that which is also 'the regulation form the-players impel along long, narrow, level alleys,'.bal1s which are twenty-seven inches in circumference. Those balls were originally made of'lignum vita, one of the-heaviest of known woods; They are now-generally made of some composition, .and weigh as. much aspsixteen pounds. Probably the greatmajority of those who. bowl regularly use. the sixteen-poundball. Into that ball are generally drilled a hole for the thumb anda hole forthe middle finger, into which-holes are insertedithe two outer. and .weaker' joints of thosefingers. .(See Fig. 22.) Sometimes, butnot frequently, holes for the thumb and two fingers are drilled. Commonly those holes are drilledradially into the ball, although sometimes, with a view to getting a better grasp of the ball, they are so drilled that the tips of the 20 thumb andifinger comesomewhat nearer together than if .the holes had been ldrilled'radially.

In order .to impel the ball. rapidly enough to maintainits course alonga horizontal wooden runwayat least sixty feetfrom the hand of the player. to the nearest pin; the player swings, his ball before releasing .it, or swings it while running with it, before'lstarting iton its" long course. The centrifugal forceresulting from that swinging of the ball may .easily raise the effective weight ofthesixteen-poundball, or its tendency to slip out of the playersfingers, from sixteen .pounds toforty or fifty pounds, or more, when 'the'ball is impelled rapidly, since the centrifugal force increases rapidly with the increase of the speed imparted tothe ball. Yet that ball, with a tendency at times to slip out of thehand equal to one-fourth the weight of a barrel of flour, and held merelyby a frictional grasp oftheends of two fingers against hard, smooth surfaces'that are semi-lubricated by perspiration and the natural oil of the hand, is given to men and women who come to bowl or to learn to bowl,althoug'h many of them do little or no physicalworkand have had no exercise to develop a sufiiciently fir'm grip intheir hands and fingers for so heavy a ball. Further, when a beginner, especially if his "hand and arm'be weak, attempts to roll his ball along so longand narrowan alley-bed, he finds thatas' the ball loses its forward momentum, it frequently rolls'completely off the bed sidewise, due to some revolutionof the ball, or to its lack of balance, wholly apart from the direction wmch -he originally imparted to it; The Weakness of his attempt, and this'tendency of his ballxto roll'off into the gutter whenpiityis.not-moving rapidly enough to maintain a fairly straight line of movement, adds to the discouragement of the beginner, and causes him to be laughed at. f

The commercial game of bowling, in which mil lions of dollars are invested,now labors, ther efore, under the practical disadvantage of discouraging or effectually barring a very large part ofthose who might otherwise become b owlers.' ,-The great weight of the ball, the necessity of swinging it rapidly before starting it on its course, and the impossibility of holding it in onehand in any way that employs the full -strength of the hand, or even of the two fingers used, discourage many beginners and efiectually disqualify a large percentage of those who might otherwise be attracted to the game. And, should; a player who would like to bowl, but who cannot well handle the usual sixteen-poundball, attempt to ;use a smaller and lighter ball, he isapt to feelthat that is a public confession of weakness and that, in any event, he cannot compete successfully with a small and light ball, against players who are able to handle large and heavy balls. So heturns permanently from bowling.

The principal object of my invention is to en able players to enjoy the game of bowling with big balls and pins, who cannot now do so for the reasons above stated, although they impart a. lesser initial velocity to their balls than is required for successful bowling upon the standard type of bowling alley now in commercial use.

' Again, bowling is a game almost wholly of marksmanship, and in-marksmanship, steadiness of aim and steadinessf or the body while aiming, are of the highest importance; c-Yetcareful observation of thousands of bo'wlersshows 7 that the necessity of imparting so much energy to so heavy a ball throws a very large proportion 'of even'thos'e who continue' the game offlth'eir balance when impelling the ball, andl that the disturbance of balance is very much greaterwhen the ball is started forward rapidly than? it is when the ball is startedforward slowly;-

n Another object of my invention isto enable bowlers, who are using the large; heavy balls,-to aim their balls at the targets with less disturbance of balance, or tendency to be thrown off their balance, at the moment of delivering the ball than with the apparatus now in use. 5 7

Further, generallyspeaking, any improvement in the apparatus of a game which is conducted as a business (such as bowling, billiards, skee ball, table tennis, etc.) whichwould improve-the playing or score of poor players without materially, or at least so greatly, improving the playing or majority of players, heighten the interest in the play, and benefit the game greatly from a com mercial standpoint. 1

Another object of my invention, therefora'is to so construct a bowling alley as to help the game of a poor player more than it helps the game of an accomplished player.

Experience has shown that the pleasure in bowling is greatly reduced if the beds of the alleys on whichthe balls slide and roll, are not frequently washed andoiled. In many commercial establishments, therefore, the rolling surface ,of

Fig. 6, illustrating part of the mechanism every alley is. washed and re-oiled every day,

Another object of my invention is to so construct bowling alleys that alleys which are not washed and oiledfrequently enough, will not be at so great a disadvantage in comparison with well-kept alleys as they are with alleys of, the present construction.

Another object of my invention is to somewhat reduce or :overcome the tendency of beginners balls to roll ofi into the gutter, although not wi'dth of the space required for a pair of properly aimed originally. I 'Anotherobject of my invention is'to reduce the time-which is now required for the playing of a game, especially in the case of beginners and players with weakhands and arms.

Thesethings I do by automatically accelerat ing the speed or forward movement of the ball after it has left the hand of the player. And this accelerating I preferably effect (1st) by elevating the players end of the alley considerably above the pin-end of the alley, and connecting these'two parts of the alley by a downwardly-inclinecl' section which materially accelerates the speed of the ball; or (2d) by providing a power device that acts to impel theball forward toward the'pins, after it has left the players hand; one

meansfor this purpose is toprovide, above the playing surface of a regulation alley, whose bed is substantially;horizontal throughout its length, 'an accelerating deviceor devices which accelerate thespeed or forward-'movement of the ball upon the bed of the alley; or (3d) by tilting down part of the alley somewhat and also accelerating the speed of the ball by other means than'gravity. p v

Another object of my invention is to accelerate thejjreturn of the ball fromthe pin-end of the alley to the players end of the alley, andparlticul'arly to' enable it to climb to the "elevated players end'of my alleys, in which the players is struck by. the players 'ball, and which require no resetting. I

Another object of my invention is to provide greater-space or width at the pin-end of thealleybed,' -sothat the pins or other'targets will not need to be crowded so closely together as they are in the regulation game of ten-pins.

Another object of my invention is to provide greater space 01' width at the pin-end of the alley-bed, preferably Without increasing the I alleys, prior-several pairsof alleys.

In the-accompanying drawings i Fig. I is a plan view oi a pair of my new bow ing. alleys, showing, inter alia, apparatus for as- ,manner in which it is usually held by while being impelledior'ward.

1,987,000 sisting the ball to return up-grade to the elevated or players end of the alley;

Fig. 2 is a detail, a plan view, of the pit-end of mynew bowling alley, showing a different type of apparatus for assisting the ballto return upgrade to the elevated or players end of the alley;

view, both indetail, illustrating one way of joiningthe horizontal part of the alley on which. the players stand orv run, to, thejdownwardly-inclined part of the alley, and shaping the junction-into a convexcurve;

Figs. 12 and 13 are similar views of onemeans for connecting thedownwardly-inclined part of the alley to the hor'montal; part, on which thepins stand, with such constructions. as are shown in Figs. -3, 4. and 5, so that the junctionshall; be formed intoa concave curve; I Fig. 14 is a longitudinal section of. another em.- bodiment of. my invention, in which the speed of the ball moving upon a substantially horizontal alley, is automatically, accelerated after the ball leaves the hand of the player;

Fig. 15 is a'detail. planview of a small section of the alley. and the accelerating mechanism, shown in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a detail view, partly in section, partly,

in elevation, of another construction. for accelcrating the speed of the players ball;

' Fig. 17 is a perspective view, partly insection, ofone of my improved downwardly-inclined alleys, in which targets, constructedto assume difierent positions with relation to each other when hit by the player's ball, are used in place of the regulation pins. In this figure a portion of the downwardly-inclined section of the alley is brokenaway by reason of limitations of space on the sheet. In thatflgure also is shown aballaccelerating mechanism, which differs from the ball-accelerating mechanism shown iriFigs. -3 and 4, chiefly i'nthat it is a multipleor two-stage accelerator instead of a single-stageaccelerator;

an end Fig. 19 is a longitudinal section of the constructionshown in Fig. 17;

' r 'Fig. 20 is a plan view-o1 a group of downwardly declining alleys, generally, but not necessarily,

shorter thanthe alleys previously shown, in which the pin+space or space for the targets has been widened'beyond the regulation distance, and the i players end of, the alleycorrespondingly narrowed, in order that a. pair of such alleys, or a larger number ofsuchalleya may go; into substantially the same space crosswise as doa pair or an equal number of regulation alleys;

Fig. 21 is alongitudinal section on the line 21, 21, of Fig. 20; and

Fig.22 is a cross section'of a ball illustrating the the hand Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in all the drawings.

' In the-accompanying drawings- A represents theplayers end of a bowling alley,

which I, preferably build in a substantially horizontal plane;

B represents the pin end of a bowling alley, which I also, preferably build in a horizontal players end and the pin-end of the alley. The

relative lengths of the three sections may vary greatly, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and the point at which the downwardly-inclined part of the alley commences may approach to, or recede from, the customary foul line in different constructions, but the construction of Fig. 3 accelerates'the ball more rapidly during the early part of its travel and allows itto make a considerable part of its whole travel at substantially maximum speed. Should strong reason for it exist, the downwardinclination of the alley may extend right through the pin-space, provided that the angle of tilt is not too great. *The lowerparts of the alley may be constructed according to the present standard constructions, while the elevated parts of the alley are carried up from the ordinary floor of the building inv any suitable manner, as for instance,

on the uprights 1, 1, and cross-pieces 2, 2, seen in Figs. 3, 4, etcetera.

Where the'players end A joins the downwardlyinclined part C, I preferably conform the surface of the alley to a convex curve of large radius, by planing or otherwise reducing the surface of the alley at the junction point, as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11..

Where the downwardly-inclined part 0 of the alley joins the pin-end B of the alley, I preferably plane, or otherwise conform the surface of my alley'to a concave curve, preferably by insert ing a cross-piece or block BC, as seen in Figs. 3, v5, 12 and '13. The dotted part of Fig. '12 is intended to indicate the shape of the'section or block before being reduced to the pre-determined concave curve. I

As far as the pin-end of the alley is concerned, I generally, preferably, use runways for the return of the players ball, of the conventional type, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5. In the conventional type of bowling alley, where the bed of the alley is substantially horizontal throughout its entire length, the speed which the ball attains in running d n the part of the runway marked b is suflici to cause it to roll to the players end of the alley and there to climb on to a ball-rack at the side of the alley. I

But since the players end of the types of my alley, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, is raised considerably above the pin-end of the alley, I preferably accelerate the speed of the ball a, in returning to the players end of the alley, by any suitable device, as for instance, one or other of the devices shown in Figs. 3, 5 or 1'7. In the devices, especially of Figs. 2, 3 and 4, an electric or other suitable motor 3, is connected by abelt 4, to a fly-wheel 5, which has a yielding frictional face or parts 6, 6, which yieldingly grip the ball as it passes under it, to serve to sufilciently accelerate the speed of the ball to cause it to run up the tilted partof the runway b on to'the ball-rack 19 see also Figs. 8 and 9. The'face or part of the wheel any suitable construction such as of a heavy "rubber band or sponge rubbenor of two resilient, I inflated tubes, the latter ofwhich are illustrated especially in Fig.- 9.-

Where the elevation of the players end of the alley is especially large, or where the ball is not originall-y accelerated by rolling down the tilted part b of the runway, Isometimes use the con 'struction illustrated in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and Lin which the motor Simpels a fly-wheel '7, which pulls the belt 8 overth'e idle wheel-9, so that the lower side of 5, which contacts with the ball,may be made'of said belt'8contacts, with the ball for amuch greater length of time than does the of the wheel 5, of Figs. 3 and 4. i

In the different embodiments of my invention, illustrated; in Figs. 1 to 5, as also in Figs. 17, etcetera., the players end of the alley is elevated substantially above the pin-end of the alley. In Fig. 14 is illustrated another embodiment of fmy invention, asapplied to an'alley of the usualcon struction, which is substantially horizontal from end to end, in which the player rolls his ball un der and into contact with a ball-accelerating mechanism whichrnay be much of the general character of the ball-accelerating mechanism shown in Fig. 5, except that, in Fig. 14, the belt 8 is wide enough to cover the whole surface of the bowling alley (see Fig. 15) instead of being wide enough simply to accelerate the up-hill climb of the ball, as seen in Figs. 1 and 5;

Where extreme shortening of the belt 8 is de sired, I preferably construct my ball-accelerating mechanism somewhat as shown in Fig. 16, in which a belt 8 with a thick resilient surface is prevented from rising too far from the alley bythe lower surface'of the part 8 which is supporteda fixed distance from the alley by the supports 8,

8. In such a construction, unusually heavy flyother parts atthe pin-ends of regulation alleys,

as shown, for example, in Figs. 1 to 5.

Figs. 17, 18 and 19-illustrate aconstruction in periphery which a plurality of targets 1'7, 17, used in place of the customary bowling-pins, are suspended by the bars 16, 16, from frictional retarding devices 15, in the outer ends of freely moving levers- 12,

set upon vertical axes 13, 13, firmly suspended from the framing 11, 11, which framing is in turn securely bolted to the kick-backs k, k, and the back framework of the bowling alley. Preferably the A t weight of the targets upon the outer ends of the levers 12, 12, ,iscounterbalanced by the weights 14, 14. The construction illustratedin Figs. 17 and 19 is such that when one or more targets 17,

17, are struck by the players ball a, said targets will change their positions under the impactof said ball. I

Since no pin-boy is to be employed with' the construction shown in Figs-1'7 and 19, the bottom or floor of the pit 18' is formed to slope to the left in the drawings and to-deliver the ball into'the trough 19 which trough in turn tilts downward toward the two-stage ball-accelerating mechanism shown in perspective in Fig. 17, and in plan in Fig. 18. The movement of the ball is first accelerated by contact with the revolving surfaces 6, 6, and by them delivered under the revolving surfaces 6 6 which, as seen in Fig. 18, are belted to run at a higher peripheral speed than do the contact surfaces 6, 6.

The width of the bed of a regulationbowling alley should be not less thanforty-one inches, nor more than forty-two inches; the gutters not less than nine nor more thannine and one-halfinches" wide each. "The total width ofthe bedand gut-f to be imparted to the ball increases, since the;ball

ters, that is, the space between the kick-backs, is sixty inches. on such an alley,the centers of the pins are twelve inches apantj 'Ihose dimensions' and proportions and the size of the regulation pins have been slowly. worked out :with relation to the space in commercial buildingsavailablefor alleys, and to the great length of a regulation alley, feet, not including passage ways.

room for bowling alleys of regulation length. But when an alley is shortened, it becomes easier to hit the targets, and there come to be strong reasons why the pins ortargets' should be further apart, without increasing, or materially increasing, the width of a given number of alleys. By the constructions illustrated in Figs. 20 and 21, I obtain a largerwidth at the pin-end of the alley, so that the pins may be set more than twelve inches apart, and I preferably contract the players end of thealley about as much as I .ex--

pand the pin-end of the alley, so that two alleys set end to end, go into substantially the same space as do a pair of regulation alleys now. Thus, I raise the distance between pin-centers from twelve inches to as much as fifteen inches by increasing the width of the bed at the pin-end to, say fifty inches (41 inches plus 9 inches) And I preferably keep the bed the regulation forty-one inches wide at the players end and cut the gutthe wide low end of the next'alley, as suggested by the alley in dotted lines at the top of Fig. 20. But when several such alleys are built'side by side, it is more economical to build them with two vide and low ends together as a pair matching with to-high and narrow ends as a pair, as illustrated in Fig. 20. When a pair of tapered alleys are built to form a'rectangle, a ball runway, and ball-accelerating mechanism are needed for 'each alley. 'But where twowide and low ends, or two 1 narrow and high ends are put together to form a pair, but one ball runway and ball-accelerating mechanism are needed for the pair. v i

- 0n an alley so constructed, and whether offull length or reduced length, I use either the regulation pins, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, or my new circulating targets, as illustrated in Figs. 17 and 19.

, When desired, a rail, wall or guard may be built along the high end of alleys such as those shown inFigs. 1 to 5. Such protection is needed, especially in the construction of Figs. 20 and 21, when a guard g is shown and marked in the drawings.

Although the third finger is also sometimes inserted into a third hole in a bowling ball, in Fig. 22 the manneralmost'universalamong regular bowlers of grasping a bowling ball while swinging it, preparatory to starting it on its long course, is illustrated. That drawing illustrates how heavy bowling ball which, on account of gravity and centrifugal "force, often has a tendency to slip out of the fingers equalto fifty pounds, in comparison with the way that the whole hand commonly grasps which requires a minimum of eighty-three In many buildings in desirable locations, however,-there is not weights of evena fewpoundswhen simply lifting them or carrying them. But here it should beremembered'that the tendency'Of-thebaH to slip;

out of the hand increases greatly as the" speed it will be understood'that a principalobject of about a twenty-pound tendency of the ball to slip out of his fingers, to start his ball forward slowly and easily, impelling it somewhat and determin ing its direction, with means provided to accelerate the speed of movement of his ball until it has attained a speed equal to one which would have implied a tendency of the ball to slip out of l the hand ofthe player, equal to perhaps forty pounds; but it maybe much more or muchless than this.

Fromthe foregoing description of the several embodiments of my invention illustratedin the drawings, the way that I have accomplished the different objects of invention stated in the early part of this specification, has probably already been made clear, unless possiblyas to one-"or two of those objects of invention: v l 5 One object ,ofinvention. was stated to bei to somewhat reduce or overcome'the tendencyyof beginners balls to roll offinto the gutter,-a1-

though not properly aimed originally. Probably it is already clear that, on mydownwardl'y-in clined alley, the forward component 'ofthe movement of the ball is accelerated withoutan'y acmy invention, briefly and roughly stated, is to" enable a player, the grip of whose fingers, when,

celeration of the sidewise component.- Stated briefly, a ball which is so aimed from the center of the foul-line as to normally pass completely off the bed near the pin-space, follows an inwardly-curving path as it rolls down the incline and passes across the pin-space, while, upon a perfectly horizontal surface, it would have passed off into the gutter before reaching'the pin-space. This greatly improves the players efforts, raises his score, and increases'the interest in' the game.

Another object of my invention was statedto be to so construct bowling alleys that alleys which are not washed and oiled frequently enough will not heat so great a disadvantagein comparison with well-kept alleys as they are with alleys of the I present construction. On my improved alley, not only does gravity add speed to the 'ball thrown by a weak or indifferent player, and sohelp it overcome the resistance of an unkept alley, but it keeps continually helping throughout a considerable part of the travel of the ball, whereasaon alleys of the types so far found in commercial use, all the energy must be put into the ball before it starts on its long journey. v 1 Another object of my invention was stated to be to so construct a bowling alley as to' help.

the game of a poor player more than it helps-the gameof an accomplished player; ObviouslyQof course, a given gravitational pull or acceleration increases the speed of a very slowly-'im'pelled-ball by a far larger percent than it does the speed offarapidly-impelled ball. Thus, a downward in clination of say four feet in the bed of the alley, may double or even triple the speed of a very slowly-impelled ball, while it would add but'fractionally to the speed of arapidly-impelled ball. An unkept horizontal alley, with a high frictional resistance, ofiers a greater obstacle to a weak and poor player than to a strong and exlperiencedg player. Further, while the acceleranon: of the forward component of movement: of the ball, without acceleration: of the sidewise component, materially" increases the score! of a poorplayer, the same physical principle interferes somewhatwith the" aim of a strong, accomplished player, who controls his b'all definitely and would prefer not to have his aim interfered with by the gravitational'pull, especially when he causes his ball to curve upon the alley as the great majority of accomplished players now do, orwwhen he directs his ball cross-wise of the alley, as players also frequently do; To very materially assist the game of poor and weak players by an improvement in the field on which the game is played, without thereby correspondingly improving the game of thegood players," is'a' veryunusual accomplishment and of great importance inany game which is'conducted as a business, commercially. I

Manymodifications andvariations of my apparatus hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, may be made, without departing from the essential principles, or at least, from certain of the essential principles, of my invention. 1

What, therefore, I'claim herein as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent i's- 1'. A bowling alley, which includes (a) a'players runway, on which a player may run-while delivering his ball; (b) a;bed for said ball to traverse on its way from'the' hand of the player to the pins, which bed'includesa downwardlyinclined portion whereby gravity accelerates the speed of the ball after it has left the hand of the player and before it reaches the pins; and (0) a pin space for pins at a level materially lower than the level of the-player's" runway aforesaid. 2. A bowling alley whichincludes; (a) asubstantially horizontal runway on; which the player may run while delivering'his ball; (12) a substantially horizontal pinr-space for pins, at a level materially lower than the; level of the playersrunway aforesaid;"and*(c) a buffer said ball to roll uponfrom" the players runway aforesaid to the pin-space aforesaid; "a; portion of said bed being inclined downwardly whereby gravity accelerates the speed" of the ball after it has left the hand of the player and beforeit has reached the pins aforesaid. 1

3'. A bowling alley having'a straightaway playing surface continuous from end "to" end, and which includes (a) a players runway on'which the player may run while delivering his ball;

('22) a pin-space .for pins at the". opposite end of the alley; and (0) means which permit gravity to accelerate the speed of the ball afterit has left the hand of the player reached the pins. x

4. A bowling alley having a straightaway playing surface continuous from enldltjo end, and whichincludes' '(a) a.,players"runway on which the player may runwhile delivering his ball;

and before it has (b) a pin-space for pins at the opposite end of the alley; and (0) means which permit gravity to accelerate the speed of the ball after i thas left the hand of the player and before, it has reached the pins, the players'ballfland the whole surface of the alley .being I visible to said player at all times.

5. A bowling alley having .a'straightaway playingsurface continuous from end to end, and

which includes (a) an elevated, substantially horizontal players runway on which the player may run while delivering his ball; (1)) a lower,

but substantially horizontal pin-space for pins tation after it has left thehand of said player and before it strikes the pins. r

61 A bowling alley having a straightawayplayi-ng surface continuous from end to encL; andwhich includes (Ct) an elevated substantially horizontal players runway on which the player mayrun while delivering his ball; (1)) a lower, but substantially horizontal pin-space forpins at the opposite end of said alley; (c) a downwardlydnclined portion, connecting said elevated players runway and said lower pin-space; whereby the players ball is accelerated by gravitation after it has left the handnof saidplayer and before it strikes the pins; and (d) a power device to assist the ball to return tothe elevated players runway from the depressed pin-space.

'7. A bowling alley having a straightaway play.- ing surface. continuous from end, to end, and which includes (a) .an elevated, substantially horizontal players. runway on which the player mayrun whiledelivering his ball (b) .a lowerbut substantially horizontal pin-space for pins at the opposite end of said alley; and, (c) a downwardly-inclined portion, connecting said elevated players runway and said lower pinspace, whereby the players ball is accelerated ;by gravitation after it has left the hand of said player and before it strikes the pins, the players ball and the whole surface of the alleybeing. :Visible to said player at all times. ii

8. A bowling alley having a straightaway playing surface continuous from. end to end, and which'includes (a) an elevated, substantially horizontal players runway on which thefplayer -may rurl while delivering his ball; (1)) a lower,

f0re it-strikes the pins, theplayers ball'andthe whole surface of the alley being visible to said player at all times; and (d) a powerwdevicegto "assist'the ball to return to the elevated players- -runway from the depressed pin-space.

9. A bowling alley having a straightaway play.- ing surface continuous from end to .end, and which includes (a) a players runway .on'which the player may run while delivering his -ball;i(b) a pin-space for pins located at the opposite end of the alley from the player's" runwamwa'nd (a) means for accelerating the-speed of the ball 7 after it has left thehandofl the 1 player and beforeit' reaches the pins'at the opposite endiof the alley, theplayers ball, during itsentire area from the hand of theplayer to'the pin- "spac'e aforesaid, being-on the straightaway 'playing surface continuous from end to end, above 1 mentioned, and being visible to the player during 'all such travel." v .-::u a

101A bowling alley'having'-aplayers runway at one endand a pin-space for pins'ylo cated-at the other end of the same; saidalley beingfcon structed with a downwardly-inclined portionintermediatethe players runway at one end o'fgthe alley and the pins at jthe oppoSil3$ I 6-.of the alley; the pins being at a substantially lowe'r'lev'el' than the players runway, so that the force of gravitation serves to accelerate the movement of the ball after it leaves the players hand and 6 before it strikes the pins located at the opposite end of the alley. a

- 11. A bowling alley having a straightaway playing. surface, continuous from endto end, which'includesa players runway on which the player stands, at one end of said alley, and a pin-space for pins, located at the other end of the same; said alley being constructed with a downwardly-inclined portion intermediate the players runway at one end of the alley and the pins at the opposite end of said alley; said pins being at a substantially lower level than the players runway, so that the force of gravitation serves to accelerate the movement of the ball after itleaves the players hand and before it strikes the pins located atthe opposite end of the alley; the players ball, during its entire travel from the hand of the player to the pinspace aforesaid, being on the straightaway playing surface continuous from end to end, above mentioned.

12, A bowling alley having a straightaway play! ing surface, continuous from end to end, which includes a players runway on which the player stands, at oneend of said alley, and a pin-space for pins, located'at the other end of the same; said alley being constructed with a downwardlyinclined portion intermediate the players runway at oneend of the alley and the pins at the opposite end of said alley; said pins being at a substantially lower'level than the players runway, so that the force of gravitation serves to accelerate the movement of the ball after it leaves the players hand and. before it strikesthe pins located at the opposite end of the alley;, the players ball, during its entire travelfrom the hand of the player to the pin-space aforesaid, being on the straightaway playing surface continuous from end 'to end, above mentioned, and being visible to the player during all such travel.

13; A bowling alley having a players runway at one end and a pin-space for pins at the other end 'of the same; said alley being constructed with a downwardly-inclined portion intermediate the players runway at one end of the alley and the pins atthe opposite end of said alleyjwhereby the force of gravitation accelerates the speed of the ball after it leaves the players hand and be- -fore it strikes .the pins located at the opposite end of the alley, and a power device acting to return the ball after it has reached the pins, to

the players end of the alley. 1

14. A bowling alley, having (a) a players runway at one end and a pin-space for pins at the other end of the same, said alley being constructed with a downwardly-inclined portion intermediate the players runway at one end of the alley andthe pins at the opposite end of said alley; whereby the force of gravitation accelerates the speed of the ball after it leaves the players hand and before it strikes the pins located 1 at the oppositeend of the alley; (b) a track for returning the ball from the pin-end of the alley to the'players end of the same; and (c) a power device acting to impel the ball from the pin-end of the alley to the playersend, so that it can be i used again. 7 p

15. A bowling alley having (a) a players runway at one end and a pin-space for pins at the other end of the same, said alley being constructed with a downwardly-inclined portion interme- 1 diate-the players runway at one end of the alley andthe pins at the opposite end; of said alley; whereby the force of gravitation accelerates the speed of the ball after it leaves the players hand and before it strikes the plnslocated-at the. 011-: posite end of the alley; turning the ball from-the pin-end, of the alleyto the players end of the same; said return-track being located on a higher level than the corresponding part of the bed of thealley, adjacent to said retum-track. i

16. A bowling alley having a players runway at one end and a pin-space; for pins, ,locatedat the other end of the same; said alley being constructed with a downwardly-inclined portion intermediate the players runway at one end of. the alley and the pins at the opposite end of *the alley; the pins being ata substantially lower level than the players runway, so that'the force of ravitation serves to accelerate the movementof the ball after it leaves the players hand and before it strikes the pins located at the opposite end, of

the alley, the playing surface of the alley-bed be,- ing shaped as a convex curve where the ball passes from the horizontal elevated H to the downwardly-inclined portionofthealleybed, and shaped as a concave curve wherethe ball passes from thedownwardly-inclined portion to the lower level at which the pins are located. a a g 17. A bowling alleyhaving a players runway at one end and a pin-space for pins located at the other end of the same; v said alley being constructed with a downwardly-inclined portion intermediate the players runway at one end of the alley and the pins at the opposite end of the .al-

ley; whereby the force of gravitation is made to accelerate the ,movementof the ball after it leaves the players hand, and before it strikes the located at the opposite end of the alley; the play.- ing surface of the alley bed being shapedas a convex curve, where the ball passes fromthe horizontal elevated players runway onto the downwardly-inclined portion of the alley-bed, and shaped as a concave curve where the ball passes from the downwardly-inclined 'port'ionto' the players hand and before it strikes the pins located at the opposite end of the alley; the playing surface of the alley-bed being shaped 'as a convex curve where the ballpasses fromthe horizontal elevated players runway on to the downwardly-inclined portion of the alley-"bed and from the downwardly-inclined portion to the lower level at which the pins are located; (b) a track for returning the ball from the pin-end of the'alley to the players end of the same;, and (e) "a power device acting to impel the ball fromthe pin-end of the alley to the players emit: the

same, so that'it can be used again.

I GEO. F. CAHILL.

and .(b) a track. for .re- ,1

players runway on v celerate the movement of the'ball after it leaves shaped as a concave curve where the ball passes 

